


Something From a Movie

by tourmalinex



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Age Difference, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Backstory, Depression, F/M, Forgotten First Meeting, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Slow Burn, Suicidal Thoughts, Will Add Tags As We Go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-05-30 19:39:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15103592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tourmalinex/pseuds/tourmalinex
Summary: Jay is the new farmer in Pelican Town, but this isn't her first time in the valley. As she attempts to forget her old life and reconnect with buried memories, her path crosses with Shane, the town grouch.





	1. life should show me so much more

Shane wondered if the new farmer that Marnie wouldn’t shut up about was a recluse, not that it really mattered to him.  
  
He never saw a new face at the saloon or at JojaMart, so he came to the conclusion that the farmer was either a hermit or a night person. _Maybe I should consider myself lucky,_ he thought. For once, Shane was glad that Morris, his dick of a boss, gave him extra hours that week. It was draining enough to introduce himself to the townsfolk a year ago, so Shane wasn't very enthusiastic about seeing another new face. If the universe could grant his desire of somehow avoid running into people all together, a weight would be lifted from his shoulders.  
  
Of course, Yoba—if he truly existed—clearly had other plans.  
  
Come Monday morning, Shane noticed an unfamiliar face staring intently at the bulletin board posted next to Pierre's General Store. They must have felt Shane's eyes since they turned around to face him. Though he couldn't initially tell by the farmer's posture and baggy clothing, their face had a rather feminine appearance. Her short, wavy hair was a moppy mess, completely disheveled. Once she realized that yes, Shane was looking in her direction, the farmer smiled softly. _Oh, great._ Shane shoved his hands in his pockets, intent on continuing his route to work. __Here we go.  
  
“Hello,” she said, extending her hand. “My name's Jay, and I'm the new farmer. It's nice to—”  
  
“—why are you talking to me? Just leave me alone.”  
  
Shane kept walking, muttering to himself. He didn't notice how her face fell.

* * *

__ Stupid jerk.  
  
Jay heaved a sigh as she waited for Pierre’s to open.  
  
Moving to a small town was never on Jay's to-do list. She was perfectly content with living in her shitty studio and working at a soul-breaking desk job. But after stepping back and realizing how miserable she was—eating nothing but fast food, having wages garnished to pay back student loans and secretly wishing for a bus to end her—Jay opened up the letter from her late grandfather. He had told her to wait, to only open it when she felt a need for change, and there was no better time to open it. As her eyes read through every word, her heart raced. _ A deed to grandpa's farm? _ Wouldn't something that important be left to his own children, and not his grandchild? How long had the land gone without anyone caring for it? The last time she visited Pines Farm was when she was a child. And did the rest of the family know that the deed was left to her?  
  
_ Just accept good things, _ she told herself.  __ Don't question it.  
  
After changing her address, paying off a majority of her debt (or, depleting most of her savings), and cutting off her long, brown hair, Jay took as much of her belongings with her, ready to start a new life on Pines Farm.  
  
However, the overgrowth of greenery was discouraging.  
  
“There's good soil under all of that,” Mayor Lewis promised on her first day.  
  
__ God this is going to take a whole week to clear this out.  
  
Lewis left her to tend to the long abandoned farm giving her some parsnip seeds to get her started. For the first week, Jay focused on clearing out the weeds and waiting for the seeds to grow. She took her time to get to know some of the townsfolk, but couldn’t for the life of her remember most of their names. The only people she could remember was Lewis and Pierre. Everyone else had a nickname, like Purple, Jock, Super Saiyan.  
  
“Oh, good morning!”  
  
Jay looked up. An older woman with brown hair smiled warmly and extended her hand.  
  
“I’m Marnie Foster. I live on the ranch south of your farm.” Jay took Marnie’s hand slowly, feeling her firm grip. “You must be Jay. I heard about you from Lewis.”  
  
“It’s nice to meet you.” Jay withdrew her hand. “I’m sorry for not visiting sooner. The farm is a bit of a mess right now.”  
  
“Oh, don’t worry about that dearie. But if you ever need anything, just give me a holler. Here, I’ll give you my phone number.” Marnie pulled out a pen and small notepad from her dress pocket. She scribbled her number before tearing off the paper and handing it to Jay. “Tuesdays aren’t the best day to call, but I’ll be sure to pick up any other day of the week.”  
  
“T-Thank you.” Jay tucked the paper in her pocket.  
  
“Not a problem! I know this is a new environment, but most people in this town are good people.” Marnie patted Jay’s shoulder, for reassurance. “Just don’t let my nephew scare you off. He’s as prickly as a cactus, but he’s like that to everyone so don’t mind him.”  
  
“That’s good to know.”  
  
“I know! Why don’t you come over to the saloon tonight to get better acquainted with the town?”  
  
Jay shook her head. “I’d love to, but I think I’ll go another night.”  
  
“Of course. No worries dear." Was that word a comma for this woman? "Take your time, okay?”  
  
The farmer cleared her throat. “It looks like Pierre’s is open. Do you have a lot to shop for?”  
  
“Oh, just some things for dinner. I assume you’re buying seeds?”  
  
“Yeah.” Jay nodded. “I thought it’d be nice to grow something other than parsnips.”  
  
“Well, if I don’t catch you at the check out, I’ll see you around, neighbor!”  
  
Jay nodded and went inside the store. She didn’t bother taking her time browsing, and instead went straight for the counter to get her seeds. Thankfully, Pierre seemed a bit out of it, so he didn’t engage her in too much conversation. Then it was back to the farm Jay went. So far, she didn’t mind this small town, farm life. The only difficult aspect was Jay’s lack of fitness. After three days of tending to the farm, her body might as well have been a stack of cinderblocks. But Jay didn’t want to give up. Not yet.  
  
Many hours were still left to the day, but the farmer decided to take it easy. After planting the new seeds, Jay headed back to the cabin. Despite all the work she did, Jay didn’t find herself too hungry. Instead of a full meal, she fried some eggs and parsnips.  
  
__ Alone for dinner.  
  
Jay would have to get used to this.


	2. a run of bad luck

Tonight was going to be the night Jay tackled the saloon. The idea of sitting down in a closed space with strangers was terrifying in of itself. Not to mention she had to save up some cash to order a meal. Who would she make small talk with aside from the bartender? And wouldn’t he be bored of hearing people’s stories anyways? Maybe someone else would start the conversation. That’s always easier, unless they towered over her.

_ It’s okay, it’s okay. Just go in and get some dinner. _

As she opened the door to the saloon, her ears were assaulted by the jukebox. The only saving grace was that no one looked her way. Jay approached the counter cautiously, bee lining to the first stool she saw. In the corner of her view, she noticed a patch of blue. When she turned her head, Jay frowned.  _ Oh, great. This jackass. _ She didn’t really have much of a nickname for the Jojamart guy--apart from calling him that. Or Five O’Clock, on account of him apparently not shaving in a while. He must have felt her gaze, as he looked up, his eyes meeting with hers, though only briefly. Immediately, he brought his attention to his half-filled bottle of beer.

“Oh, hello!”

Jay turned to the bar and was greeting by a smiling woman with bright blue hair.

“I’m Emily! What can I get for you, new farmer? It’s Jay, isn’t it?”

“Oh, um… What do you guys have?”

“We have pizza, salad if you want a healthy option, and today’s special is a plate of red roasted vegetables. We also have beer on tap, soda, coffee and water.”

_ Is that it? _

“Those sound… enticing.” Jay tilted her head in thought. “Can I get a slice of pizza and some soda?”

“One slice and some soda, comin’ up!”

As Emily went to talk to the owner--Gus?--Jay tapped her fingers against the countertop. The saloon had a homey feel to it, and Jay could get used to that. The only thing detracting from that was Shane’s occasional glare. What the hell was his deal? If he wanted to say something, why couldn’t he just come out and say it instead of sending harsh vibes?

“Oh, hello Jay!”

Jay turned around and saw a familiar face. Marnie, the ranch owner, smiled and walked up to the counter. “How are you doing this evening?”

“I’m doing fine,” Jay replied. “And yourself?”

“Just another long day of looking out for my babies--cattle I mean. I love my animals to death.” Marnie’s gaze drifted to the side, shifting her attention elsewhere. Jay tilted her head. Did she say something awkward? Was her face that unsightly? Or was she just weird?

“Jay, I’d like to introduce you to my nephew, Shane.”

The farmer felt her stomach drop to the floor. Those two are  _ related _ ? Jay gulped as Shane walked closer. From what she could tell from his disgruntled expression, he wasn’t enjoying this anymore than she did. If anything, he seemed to actively hate her.

“Shane, this is Jay Pines.”

As Jay held out her trembling hand, she forced a smile. “H-Hey Shane.”

Shane shrugged. “Hm. Hey.”

Marnie elbowed Shane’s side, nearly knocking the beer out of his hand. Her face grew red from embarrassment. “Shane! Don’t be rude!”

Jay shook her head. “It’s okay. He just wants to enjoy his beer, right?”

Shane gave a small nod. “At least  _ someone _ gets it.”

Marnie let out a sigh. “I’m sorry Jay. I’ll leave you to enjoy your dinner.”

When Jay turned back to the counter, she noticed her pizza and beer was already there. She winced, knowing that the chances of Emily witnessing that embarrassing conversation was high. As her shoulders dropped, Jay reached for her slice and ate in silence.

* * *

The next morning, Jay took her time getting ready. Farming was already taking its toll on her, and every muscle ached--especially the ones she didn’t know she had. But if there was any part of her job that she enjoyed, it was watering the crops in the morning, right when the sun settled in the sky. Those first few hours were peaceful, tranquil. She had all that time to let the rest of the world fade away. All that existed was her and the farm. But the moment all her crops were tended to, her mind drifted back to last night. What the fuck was that Shane guy’s problem anyways?

_ Ugh. Maybe I should just avoid him _ .

That’s right. She left the city to get away from anything--and anyone--that stressed her out to the point of mental exhaustion. Jay kicked a rock, sending it a few feet away from her.

“Fuck him anyways.”

Jay took a few minutes to calm down before heading up to the mountains. On a map she found of the valley, she noticed a cave settled up there. The childish part of her was hoping to find treasure, jewels, gems or just… something cool. But what else lurked down in those tunnels? From the looks of the town, no one looked like the spelunking type, so Lewis was probably the best bet. But that could wait until later. After all, she just wanted a superficial search so that she could be better prepared for the next time--if the cave seemed worth exploring.

And it was, as it turned out. When Jay entered the cave, she was greeted by a man with an eyepatch. She flinched when he turned toward her, but her defense dropped when he shrugged his shoulders.

“I was just peering down into this old mine shaft. It’s been abandoned for decades.”

Jay only nodded as the man continued.

“Still, there’s probably a lot of good ore down there.” He brought his hand to his chin. “But a dark place, undisturbed for so long… I’m afraid ore wouldn’t be the only thing down there. Are you plannin’ an exploration?”

“I-I’m not sure yet.” Jay’s eyes shifted between the man’s sharp gaze and the ladder leading down. What did he mean? Was there treasure? Bandits? Bodies of failed explorers? She shuddered at the thought.

“Well, in any case, you should take this.” The man picked up a sword by his feet--how did she not notice before--and held it out for Jay to take. “That is, if you’re brave enough to venture down.”

Despite Jay feeling uncertain, she took the sword from the man. “Thank you.”

“Marlon. The name’s Marlon.”

Marlon made his way back to the entrance, but before he left, he turned back to Jay.

“Good luck down there, Pines.”

Jay nodded as he left, but was confused. How did he already know her name? Maybe Lewis or someone else told him. Yeah, that had to be it.

The silence of the cave entrance was startling. Would the rest of the cavern be that way as well? Jay’s grip on the sword tightened as she stepped towards the ladder, staring down into the darkness. She gulped, swearing that she heard  _ something _ moving down there. But curiosity had gotten the best of her, so she carefully climbed down the ladder.

And then, everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy I'm so bad at updating. 
> 
> Anyways, the chapter titles are lyrics from songs I thought fit the story. If anyone's interested, I could make the playlist public. 
> 
> Thank you to those coming across this. I hope that after finals, the updates are more consistent. I mean, I have until chapter 14 planned out so we'll see. Kudos and comments are appreciated! See you guys next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I decided to rewrite this because I wasn't liking where the original fic was going. I also didn't think my writing was all that great in terms of characterization. So here we go, take two. Hope y'all enjoyed and see y'all next time.


End file.
